Local government reforms: Thames-Coromandel mayor pitches Bay of Plenty merger
Friday, 12 June 2026
Bay of Plenty mayors have been dealt a charm offensive as their Thames-Coromandel counterpart made a pitch for what a merger between the two areas could look like.
At a Bay of Plenty mayoral forum in Rotorua yesterday, Thames-Coromandel Mayor Peter Revell argued his district was a natural fit for the region.
Councils are scrambling to consider mergers and other structural changes as part of the Government’s simplifying local government reforms.
Last month, they were given until August 9 to voluntarily submit reorganisation proposals through the Head Start reform process.
Councils that do not progress through Head Start would face compulsory Government-led reform through a backstop process after the 2028 local elections.
Revell put a slide of a giant love heart on the big screen in Rotorua’s council chambers, as he explained why he was addressing a regional forum outside his district’s boundaries.
“The reality is we think we, more than anywhere else in the Waikato region, are a genuine option to be viewed as part of the Bay of Plenty,” Revell told mayors from Tauranga, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki, Rotorua, Taupō, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, and Whakatāne, along with Bay of Plenty regional council leadership.
He said there were “significant catchment and cultural alignments” between the regions.
“We do share common characteristics and challenges.”
He highlighted climate change, coastal and marine management, regulatory issues, tourism, aquaculture and horticulture, as well as common community characteristics, recreational opportunities and iwi connections.
He said the council had “a good time” working towards a Local Water Done Well deal with the Western Bay and Tauranga in 2025, even though it fell through at the last minute because of unresolved iwi issues with the Western Bay.
“We also believe aligning with the Bay of Plenty complies with what the Government wants from simplifying local government,” he said.
Revell highlighted two potential scenarios.
A “greater Bay of Plenty” region that would include all of the current Bay of Plenty districts, but not Taupō.
He also pitched a “coastal” option, stretching from the top of the Coromandel down to the Bay’s most eastern point.
Both options would also include the coastal part of the Hauraki District.
Revell said he had discussed the idea with Hauraki Mayor Toby Adams, who “has a view on that”, but maintained it was the most logical arrangement.
Under the Head Start provisions, restructuring proposals can include councils without their agreement if the other parties have the greater numbers, either through population or the number of councils involved.
Thames-Coromandel is part of the Waikato Regional Council catchment. The Coromandel MP electorate, however, includes Western Bay populations in Katikati and Ōmokoroa.
Revell stressed a Bay of Plenty merger was not his district’s only option, highlighting possible “eastern, rural and greater Waikato” combinations.
Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore said the two regions had much in common, pointing to the significant impact recent weather events had on both communities.
Meeting chair and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said no decisions were to be made at the meeting, but that the early submission was “appreciated”.
Bay of Plenty mayors also had the chance to quiz a representative from the Department of Internal Affairs at the meeting.
They had questions around debt harmonisation, community consultation, timeframe and key dates in the reform process.
The mayors also approved their respective timelines for simplifying local government proposal decision-making.
Taupō and Tauranga councils are due to make their decisions on July 21, followed by Kawerau and Rotorua on July 29, and Ōpōtiki on August 4, all before the Government’s August 9 deadline for lodging Head Start pathway proposals.
Whakatāne and Western Bay of Plenty have tentatively pencilled in July 23 and July 30, respectively.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.